To inform voters and to help the baiduhai Editorial Board make endorsements, the board posed a series of questions to the candidates running for alderman. See their answers below. See how other candidates answered here.
Name: Martina “Tina” Hone
Ward: 5th
Current job: Attorney, former Chief Engagement Officer, City of Chicago
Previous political experience: Former Chief Engagement Officer, City of Chicago; former member, Fairfax County, Virginia School Board, Former Associate Under Secretary, US Department of Commerce, Counsel, Judiciary Committee, US House of Representatives; Policy Director, Education & Workforce Committee, US House of Representatives
Education: BA University of Chicago; JD, University of California, Berkeley
Spouse’s occupation: N/A
Sources of outside income: Personal savings
The rise in violent crime remains a top priority for City Hall. Homicides, shootings and carjackings are all unacceptably high. Tell us how city government can be innovative in combating crime, and explain what measures you would propose if elected.
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Despite data showing that homicides and shootings are actually down in the City, many many residents – including me – feel like we are living in the “wild west.” We also feel caught between a rock and hard place. Unfair policing and unjust bail/sentencing practices have damaged the trust between law enforcement and residents. However, law enforcement is essential to keeping us safe.
Violent crime and the trauma it spawns in the 5th Ward have root causes in the economic disenfranchisement of the African American community, which in turn has led to every ill in our community including poverty, life expectancy gaps, health disparities, achievement gaps, and low home ownership rates.
We need a comprehensive approach on parallel tracks with both short-term fixes and long-term solutions.
Short term fixes include changes to policing, cleaning our streets, and eliminating blight. Changes to policing must address the hiring gap to improve response time and give officers adequate time off; adjust staffing so more police are on the streets and fewer are behind desks; have more police actually walking in the community so they feel like part of it. Cleaning the streets would improve spirits and restore a sense of community value. Garbage cans are missing in parts of the Ward. We need them back. We need a corps within Streets & Sanitation dedicated to cleaning overnight street cleaning using street vacuums. This could also be a job program for returning citizens, giving them a path back to full participation in society. Eliminating blight requires more vacant lots be put into productive use and kept clean and clear. Owners of vacant buildings must put their properties back into use by a certain time or surrender them to increase housing or business opportunities. Traffic laws should be enforced. The unchecked reckless driving in the 5th Ward is dangerous and contributes to the sense of lawlessness.
Longer term, trust between law enforcement and residents must be restored through a “truth and reconciliation process” and all components of law enforcement — the police, the State’s Attorneys Office, the Court system, and Sheriff’s office which oversees the jails – must work together in good faith to identify and resolve challenges. We must treat unresolved trauma, which hampers judgment and impulse control. We must expand the pilot program, launched by Mayor Lightfoot, to have mental health professionals respond to certain 911calls with police. And we must ensure the unprecedented investments in mental health clinics made by Mayor Lightfoot are accessible in the community. There is a disconnect, with too many residents looking for city run mental health clinics and not understanding the role of delegate agencies in delivering these services. We must support CPS in training teachers to recognize unresolved trauma and fund an adequate number of mental health professionals to help. Finally, the city needs a comprehensive jobs program that provides steady incomes, without which residents cannot build wealth through home ownership nor will they have the disposable income needed to support businesses in Invest South West corridors.
The CTA, one of the nation’s largest transit systems, remains a troubled agency grappling with issues ranging from violent crime and ghost buses and trains, to flagging ridership. Give us your thoughts on what specific measures CTA should take to make train and bus service safer, more reliable and more equitable for Chicagoans.
There is an incredible shortage of transportation workers and this is a national trend. According to the American Public Transportation Association, over 90% of municipalities are facing a similar crisis. The aggressive recruiting and signing bonuses that the CTA has undertaken will hopefully help, as will changes to how new drivers are deployed. But hiring and training will not solve anything overnight. CTA might consider ways to lure retired drivers and train operators back into service temporarily until the new corps of drivers and train operators are ready.
We also need to confront the fact that low income areas, particularly on the south side, are being hard hit because of high levels of absenteeism and staffing gaps at the 103rd Street and 79th Street garages. Many of the bus lines that are vital links for the 5th ward – like the number 6, 28, and J-14 — come out of these garages. CTA needs to “heavy up” staffing to these garages to account for higher absenteeism. It also needs to determine if there is a pattern contributing to absenteeism – like lack of childcare – that can ameloriate this challenge.
I have experienced the ghost bus phenomenon myself and it is incredibly frustrating. To add insult to injury, the buses are not only late but also crowded and dirty. I take the #6. Recently, fewer of the buses have been the larger accordion-style ones. This bus, the 28 and J-14 are the downtown transit core for people on the southeast side. Other than Metra, we don’t have another way to get downtown on public transit. The disparities on the #6 seem to have persisted since my childhood. Then and now, there are always multiple Archer expresses, 146 express, and 36 Broadway buses for each number 6. At the most basic level, it feels unfair.
Regarding safety, while I know law enforcement alone is not the answer to public safety, I believe increased police presence – including undercover police presence – is warranted to stem the sense of lawlessness that has grown on public transit. We need a particularly strong presence on certain lines, like the Red Line, which has seen some especially brutal attacks recently. Once the sense of lawlessness subsides, we can reduce presence. Riders cannot be afraid to ride the bus or train.
We also need to clean up our buses, trains, and stations. Blight and neglect are breeding grounds for crime. We need a corps working overnight to get our transit system clean. By working overnight, we would create a presence that could deter crime and be minimally disruptive to commuters during the workday.
Finally, we have to figure out a way to provide safe, secure housing for those experiencing homelessness so they are not forced to rely on public transit for shelter.
Ten years ago, enrollment at Chicago Public Schools was 403,000 students. In September, enrollment stood at 322,000 students. Enrollment at CPS has dropped for 11 consecutive years. What specific measures should CPS undertake to reverse the trend of ever-dwindling enrollment?
It is important for residents to understand that CPS is separately governed and that City Council does not have any formal influence over it, except through the ability to provide funds through the budget. Therefore, any changes to CPS policies or practices will require a cooperative and constructive relationship between City Council and CPS’ governing board.
The overall decline in CPS enrollment coincides with a loss of African American population in the City. The first step to increasing enrollment is to encourage African American families to return to Chicago, or stay if they have not already left. Reducing crime and improving overall quality of life can do that.
We must also recognize that the sharpest decline in enrollment occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, where CPS lost track of about 100,000 students. It was an extremely difficult time that caught all of us off guard. But we must learn lessons from it. About half of the students we lost have been recovered, but there remains a significant loss. With COVID rates rising and new variants upon us, my hope is that if we need to return to remote learning ever again, we will have better tools and processes to keep track of our students. This is particularly important for African American boys who statistically are already at increased academic risk. We need a core of workers whose job is to keep track of and find the students. Teachers have enough on their plate.
The loss of African American students, which again is fueling the overall system loss, can likely also be traced to frustrations many African American parents have with the byzantine process of selective enrollment schools, as early as pre-k. If you are not able to navigate this complex system, your child is disadvantaged. And many African American parents whose children do not get into selective enrollment schools, are not willing to send their children to neighborhood schools because the highest achieving students have been “cherry picked” out and what is often left is a school without enough students to support comprehensive programming.
We should rethink the selective enrollment process to make it more accessible to all parents. That does not mean returning to neighborhood high schools where Chicago’s entrenched patterns of segregation would mean “separate and inherently unequal” schools. I would encourage CPS to explore a system of subject matter magnet schools. We might also consider repurposes empty spaces downtown on LaSalle Street and State Street for innovative high school campuses. These centrally located schools could break the patterns of segregation and allow our students of all races, ethnicities, and socio-economic backgrounds to learn with and enrich each other.
Finally, we need to restore comprehensive trades education. This will also bring many of our male students back to our schools. College is not for everyone. But everyone needs a path to meaningful work and steady incomes. We could partner with City Colleges and the unions to create accessible trade schools across the city.
Disinvestment on the South and West sides is a decades-long problem with myriad causes. Give us at least one innovative idea that you believe could play a role in reversing South and West side disinvestment, and explain why the idea is realistic and feasible.
We need a comprehensive jobs program that gives the chronically unemployed and underemployed a path to city employment, which in itself is one of the most time-tested paths to the middle class. It is not a flashy or sexy solution. But it is a practical one. There is a fundamental difference between economic “disinvestment” and economic “disenfranchisement.” Disinvestment happens when people and entities, often from outside the community, pull out or fail to invest. Disenfranchisement takes away the community’s ability to build its own economic strength from within. The loss of meaningful, steady work is at the heart of economic disenfranchisement. Without economic strength, the regular people in the community cannot build wealth. There is no disposable income. And low incomes cause a range of social ills, including crime and blight.
Invest South West is doing important work responding to disinvestment, bringing investments and development to long abandoned corridors. But jobs are a by-product – albeit an important one – of this development work. Parts of the 5th Ward have among lowest incomes and highest unemployment rates in the city. While in the Mayor’s office, I successfully advocated for creation of a small pilot program that would prioritize hiring to residents living in communities with lowest incomes and highest unemployment rates. The program would backfill vacancies in the City and give participants the pride of city employment. Because many would have experienced generational poverty and unemployment, they would receive “soft skill” training. The program would include a retention element to help those with jobs retain them. They would participate in financial/budget workshops including lessons in homeownership. And they would have the opportunity to earn licenses and certifications at City Colleges.
I designed similar programs while Chief Equity Officer at YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, working with leaders in high demand industries to create career pathways with 360 support. The City could also leverage its substantial relationships with private sector corporations in Chicago to create similar programs. The bottom line is that without rich employment opportunities for residents of wards experiencing persistent unemployment or underemployment, full reinvestment in communities will not occur.
Do you support giving Chicagoans property tax relief? If yes, please explain how you would accomplish it. If no, please explain why not.
I support fiscally responsible decision making. There will be times when taxes may need to be raised and other times when we can give home owners some relief. Currently, property taxes are linked to the consumer price index with a 5% cap. I believe the language of the ordinance should be amended to clearly allow for the discretion that the Mayor used this year in not increasing property taxes. The 5th ward has two fast gentrifying regions with sharply increasing property values. For these situations, I support property tax relief for residential homeowners and resident owners of small apartment buildings. I want these residents to be able to enjoy the benefits of property value appreciation that so many other Chicagoans take for granted. But I also want to be sure they are not displaced by sharply increasing property taxes.
Give us your take on the city’s use of tax increment financing districts. Do you feel they have been useful, or do you feel that the problems associated with them outweigh their usefulness? What if any reforms would you want to apply to the city’s usage of TIFs?
I believe TIFs can play a useful role in spurring development in underserved communities, so I support their use. However, the use should be limited and once the goals met, the TIF should be ended. I also think it is also fine to “share the wealth,” as is the case with a TIF downtown supporting the redline extension that will be life changing for the people of Riverdale and the very far south side. We are one city and cannot have one part failing while others thrive.
I do not support are instances where TIFs are used in areas that are not under resourced, can attract regular private investment, or are already well on their way to gentrification. We have seen this happen, which is part of what has given TIFs such a bad reputation.
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The 71st/Stony Island TIF is the most important TIF in the 5th Ward. I am interested in figuring out other funding opportunities for this area, including through the federal appropriations process, through the federal EDA and through special programs that support Transit Oriented Development to promote environmental improvements. 71st Street needs Transit Oriented RE-development. The Metra Electric line runs straight down it and could be the catalyst for restoring 71st Street to the commercial hub and destination that it once was.
Lead in drinking water is a major health concern for the city. It is estimated that in Chicago there are roughly 400,000 homes and small apartment buildings with lead service lines. So far, the city has replaced less than 300 lead service lines. Do you feel the pace of lead service line replacement should be expedited, and if yes, what is the best, most feasible way to accomplish that?
The pace of replacing lead service lines should absolutely be expedited. But I also believe the City is right to prioritize highest risk areas or buildings, including those with child care facilities. The city’s current equity-based program replaces service lines for free for low income residents in communities with the highest percentages of lead service lines. This program has been slow moving because homeowners must apply for the replacement line. Outreach and promotion of the program relies on community organizations to serve as liaisons. This is a challenge. These same community partners are stretched helping with outreach on COVID vaccine and other programs.
I believe the City needs a paid marketing campaign to promote the program. But operationally, instead of waiting for homeowners to apply, the City could establish a schedule and let homeowners know that it will be replacing the lead service line to their residences during a specific period. Hitting communities at one time would add efficiency to the process – both for the residents and for the city. Residents would have the opportunity to opt out completely. However, before a house title could be transferred, the seller would need to replace the lead service line. If the proposed date does not work, home owners could also be placed in a queue for a later installation.
The City must also address the concern that many homeowners have raised about their front yards being dug up and damaged, leaving it to them to replant grass or any trees that are lost. This has actually stopped some residents from taking advantage of the program. If coordinated properly, the Water Department could replace the service lines over one period of time and the Department of Forestry could come and plant sod and new trees thereafter. As an aside, we need more of this kind of cross department coordination in the city on a range of issues.
If you are an incumbent, please explain what is it about your service on the City Council that makes you most qualified for the job. If you have never served on the council, please explain what is it about your background that makes you most qualified.
I am a native Hyde Parker who grew up in Roseland. My mother is African American and my father was an immigrant from the former Yugoslavia. This unique personal background helped me understand the importance of equity, which is at the heart of all I do and have done in my life and career. Professionally, I have the most relevant and comprehensive public service experience of any of the other candidates. Two decades working in the federal policy arena taught me lessons that I can bring back to the 5th Ward and the City, including understanding how to access federal funding to supplement state and local funding. I want to bring all of this experience to the table for the benefit of the 5th Ward and the City as a whole. Importantly, this is not a political steppingstone for me.
While I believe all of the candidates understand the challenges facing the 5th ward and the city and understand the importance of resolving these challenges, I believe I have the skills and background to actually resolve them. I was Chief Engagement Officer for the City of Chicago. Serving as Chief Engagement Officer gave me a bird’s eye view of how this complex city works and most importantly, how to navigate its complexity to get things done. It also helped me understand that City Council members must be fierce advocates for their Wards but must also work with colleagues for the benefit of the City as a whole. City Council members must be true co-governors of this City, along with the Mayor. Working at the federal level also showed me how true co-governance works. With one-third of City Council new next term, we are at a unique moment in our City’s history where we can re-set the way City Council and the Mayor work together for the benefit of our Wards and our City. I know how to seize this moment.
I am also the only candidate to previously serve in elected office. I was an elected, at-large member of the Fairfax County (Virginia) School Board. As an at large member, I represented residents of the entire county of multiple races and ethnicities and across the socio-economic spectrum. The 5th Ward has similar diversity. I also learned the difference between being an advocate and being a governor. It is easy to grandstand. It is hard to build alliances and coalitions to find solutions. I want to find solutions.
What is the most pressing issue facing the people of your ward, and how would you address it?
Most people believe public safety is the most pressing issue, but I am convinced the most pressing issue is economic equity. I have outlined my proposed solutions in prior answers. The crime and public safety crisis we are experience are a consequence of no jobs, no hope, and wealth gaps. Every ill facing the most distressed communities trace back to economic disenfranchisement. We need to build a city where everyone can thrive. And we need to recognize that if one part of the city fails, we all suffer.
Sum up why should voters elect you and not your opponent(s)? (Please limit this to policy and approach, not a biography recitation.)
Voters should elect me because equity is my true north and I have the experience needed to be effective on day one. Having worked in the City and other complex government institutions, I also have the tenacity the navigate the labyrinths of established bureaucracies to get things done. This is not a political steppingstone for me but rather an opportunity to bring my unmatched depth and breadth of experience to the role of Alderperson to benefit the 5th Ward and the City as a whole. I understand that I must be an advocate for my ward but also a co-governor of this city, working in alliance and coalition with others to improve the lives of everyone living here.